[Chikara] Blog

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1/6/2012: What a way to end a season!

In front of the world, live on iPPV at "High Noon," after a long chain of some of the most frustrating moments of my career, I finally gave Tursas his comeuppance in the best way imaginable - I made him quit. That's right, the seemingly unbeatable giant was forced to admit defeat. Forced to admit that I had his number. Forced to admit that with no help from a crooked referee or a goof with a tennis racket, Green Ant was only one hold away from sending Tursas packing. I can't describe how great that felt, or how elated I was that the war was over and I proved to the world that the art of submission wrestling overrules size and strength.

However, I'm not the only wrestler in CHIKARA who's always out to prove that they can hang with the best on the mat. I've had a couple singles matches over the course of my two year career with my trainer, mi maestro, Mike Quackenbush. Mike, we've tied up twice in a CHIKARA ring, and both times you proved you were the better wrestler. Twice, you've made me tap out. I have no shame in admitting that. On the mat, you might be the very best in the entire world. You showed me the ropes since day one, and I consider both of those matches to be learning experiences. But you know what? On November 13th, I tapped out the heaviest guy on the CHIKARA roster in the middle of the ring. After that, I feel ready to take on the world. Plus, I'm in the gym nearly every day working on my technique. I don't know that anyone is ever truly ready to get down on the mat with The Master of a Thousand Holds, but I guess I'm as ready as I can be.

Give me the chance!
GA

 

[Andrew]

Always loved reading CHIKARA Blogs, thanks for putting it here on WS.

My favorite blog is easily Robbie Eagles' blog because he's Australian

 

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1/13/2012: Nearly 9 long weeks have passed since I vanquished Ares at "High Noon" and, at long last, reclaimed the Eye of Tyr.

And now, the time has come to make good on a promise I made many moons ago to my comrade Hallowicked. To make right a terrible wrong. To harness and employ all of the magic of the Eye. The time has come to liberate Delirious from the psychological helotry that has been cast upon him by the BDK.

[video=youtube;tL0e7N7E78U]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tL0e7N7E78U&feature=player_embedded#t=0s[/video]

I have been biding my time; watching and waiting. Tracking his every movement. I have learned my lessons from the past - the Eye is far too powerful to unleash without forethought! But I can wait no longer. I fear that the damage done may already be too great. We must set free Delirious now! And when we do - when the spell has been broken and Delirious is once again at our side - The Spectral Envoy of the Final Judgment will truly be the most powerful force in all of CHIKARA!


UMB

 

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1/20/2012: Happy New Year CHIKARMY! 2011 was an extremely up and down year for me. It was filled with wins and losses, pain and triumph. But 2011 ended with a bang for me! I scored a huge win over one of the best in the world - El Generico - as the world watched "High Noon," and I went on to spend 3 weeks in Japan competing for Osaka Pro Wrestling doing what I love the most. It made me appreciate what I have. What I've accomplished. But I won't lie to you. While I was there I got a little cocky. No one could beat me. I was in there with some of puroresu's finest and I didn't lose. I made it to the semi-finals of Osaka Pro's Tennozan Tournament before I suffered my first loss. I got cocky and that will never happen again.

[video=youtube;Hs7U4w1Bm2M]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hs7U4w1Bm2M&feature=player_embedded#t=0s[/video]

On January 28th in Easton, PA I lock up with Kobald. I won't walk into this match with a cocky attitude. I'm more focused than ever. I watched Koblad take our Grand Champion Eddie Kingston to the limit when we were in North Carolina. When I faced Eddie at Chikarasaurus Rex this past July, I gave him everything I had, but the simple truth is, I didn't have Eddie's number. But after watching your match Kobald, I realize you did. So trust me when I say I'm not looking past you. I'm walking into this like I've got a mountain to climb, like it's the Tennozan tournament all over again...like I have something to prove. When you see me across the ring Kobald, you better know that I'm coming at you 200%. 2012 is my year...and I'm gonna start it off with a bang. Ain't no doubt about it!

See you in Easton!
JIG

 

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1/24/2012: Is it just me or is Hootie & The Blowfish's album, Cracked Rear View, an absolutely fantastic record? I mean, cover to cover each song has a nice, listenable quality and the pacing of the album takes you on a wonderful musical journey through soft rock music mixed with the poweful, raspy, yet soothing, voice of Darius Rucker. I feel the best song on the album has to be "Let Her Cry." Not only is it a lyrically beautiful song but Rucker delivers it in a way that gives genuine meaning to the words. If you haven't heard it before, I suggest you give 'er a listen. You won't be sorry.

But I digress.

I'm sitting at my desk, looking out the window at a crisp winter morning, sipping a cup of Tim Horton's coffee and anxiously awaiting the outdoor hockey game that I plan on dominating later this afternoon (Canadian "Eh!?") I'm gettin real pumped up!!!

Something else I'm real pumped about is Season 11 of CHIKARA. I saw this nifty little video about how this season belongs to YOU. I dig it! Take a few seconds to watch it. It has heavy music and wrestling moves. And old NES graphics. Go ahead. Watch it. I'll wait...

[video=youtube;x7qA2-6lkjA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7qA2-6lkjA&feature=player_embedded#t=0s[/video]

Like the video says, I also believe that Season 11 belongs to ME. Simply put, I NEED to get back on the road to the Promised Land. It's a road that 3.0 has not travelled since mid-2010. It's been too long. I've already picked up a point with "Big Magic" over Los Bravados. This time around, January 28th in Easton, it's Tim Donst and Jakob Hammermeier.

Shane and I are going to pick you apart. We have never claimed to be the most technically sound or the most athletically gifted wrestlers in CHIKARA, but one thing I do know is that we have been teaming together for 10 years and we know tag team strategy better than other team on the roster. I hope you guys remember that over the course of a year, Shane and myself were the only team to pin your beloved leader Claudio Castagnoli's shoulders to the mat.

Jakob, this message is for you: I'm gonna fill up "Big Magic" with 2 big cans of Redbull, give 'im a shake, and unleash him on you. Mark my words, 2012 will be the year of 3.0 and you and Donst are in our path to the Promised Land.

One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.

Jakob, Donst, 2012, 3 points, Promised Land, Tag Team championships, 3.0 is comin' to getcha!!!

Booya!
SJP

 

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1/26/2012: ‘Twas the night before Christmas
And all through my lair,
An uneasy chill
Lay thick in the air.

Not because Archie’s Bunker
Lacks central heat;
Dear Veronica had shunned me
After another defeat.

The loss at "JoshiMania"
To Team JWP
Had me in the dog house
Like the J.Y.D.

But the holidays are over;
My new year’s resolution
Is to treat losses
As Captain Planet treats pollution.

I’m hungry for redemption
On victory I’ll be a-feastin’
When I enter those hallowed hollows --
The wicked woods of Easton.

Against such resolve,
My opponent will be affright.
Like a one-legged mare
In a hoof fight.

On 28 January,
Veronica will see me
Marching and winning,
Drumming and dreamy.


AP

 

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1/27/2012: It’s only after you’ve lost everything, that you're free to do anything.

A new path has been chosen. I must shed this skin. The soul(Mask) that is dishonored(Osirian Portal.) Domination. My name will command respect(Fear.) I must become something new. Spirit. Stolen from Wadjet(Deity.) The Snake Spirit(Ophidian.)

[video=youtube;8sI4eCsFv60]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sI4eCsFv60&feature=player_embedded#t=0s[/video]

Resurrect - Embody the soul(Mask) of the Serpent. Under the sign of Osiris(Deity,) The Osirian Portal(Dishonored) skin has been removed. I have seen my fated path. Embrace it. My soul(Mask) shall remain hidden until it is time to battle(Conquer.) I am not yet worthy of showing it otherwise. Osiris(Deity) will be made proud. Complete Resurrection happens through Complete Supremacy.

Sever - Eradicate all members of the Osirian Portal(Dishonored.) Obtain their mask(Soul.) I have your Soul(Mask) Amasis. Your sacrifice was necessary. I am a disgrace. Removed. Two soul(Mask)s have been placed upon the altar. Horus(Deity.) Hieracon must be Sacrificed. I require his soul(Mask.)

Ascend - Fear(Respect) is respect(Fear.) Every one shall be tested. No one will be left undefeated. Retribution. To battle(Conquer) is my purpose. The champions of CHIKARA will know I’m coming. Fear me. The soul(Mask)less shall whisper my name. The defeated shall scream it.

Hieracon, heed my words. On January 28th, Victory does not lie within pinfall. Destruction. Complete dismemberment. The Death Grip(Submission) is the only way to conquer(Battle.) Your soul(Mask) is mine.


OPHIDIAN

 

[Deuce]

My favorite blog has gotta be Green Ant's, I can read it over and over again.

 

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1/31/2012: Nothing in life is free. If you want something you have to earn it. With hard work, respect and integrity. One cannot simply walk into Asgard and claim to be a god because he found passage through some back door along the Bifrost bridge. Everyone knows that to even cross Asbru you must first pass Heimdall. Gran Akuma thinks he's the exception to the rule though. He believes that by simply hopping a guard rail, jumping into a ring and accepting challenges while kicking sand bags in his secret lair that he can saunter into CHIKARA and be back on the roster. Well I say nay good sir, you shall not pass so easily.

Gran Akuma was cast out of the CHIKARA locker room over a year ago. I thought by pedigreeing his face off, I sent a very clear message: "your services are no longer needed." Then in November, after every match I'd win, I'd turn around to see Gran Akuma. So what, now he's back from outer space, brooding around the locker room with that sad look upon his face. I'm willing to bet you thought I'd crumble, that I'd just lay down and die, but oh not I. I earned my spot on the CHIKARA roster. If you want back in Akuma, you must earn your way back. You can't just step into the ring with me 'cause you think you can wrestle.

[video=youtube;7jyJHdXv1pc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jyJHdXv1pc&feature=player_embedded#t=0s[/video]

So I've decided, since I'm such a gracious fellow, to give you a shot to earn your way up to being able to step into the ring with me again. You want back into CHIKARA fulltime? You want to get your hands on me? Prove it. Overcome what I have in store for you. Let's institute a trial series, Mr. Vavasseur. Do or die, I say. If you can overcome the matches I align, you'll have earned your way back to CHIKARA and perhaps a rematch with the world's greatest - moi.


ICARUS

 

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2/1/2012: Good day, Icarus. Director of Fun Wink Vavasseur here. We've met, I believe. You're the one with the tattoo, right?

I realize that I am not the first DoF in CHIKARA history, while you, on the other hand, have been around since the start. Maybe the people that came before me allowed the wrestlers to simply run amok and make up the rules as they go. Well, that's not exactly the upper-management style my pappy Connie taught me. And you know who the upper-management around here is? It's me, Wink Vavasseur.

I don't like my underlings trying to steal my thunder, and I don't like being intimidated either. Are you listening, Mister Grand Champion? This is not how business is conducted on my watch. It was just a couple years ago that a change in the Board of Directors here allowed a more, let's say, "permissive" DoF named Dieter to make a royal mess of things. Some people were removed. Some were replaced. Cooler heads prevailed. And cooler heads named a new Director of Fun. Again, that's me, Wink Vavasseur. Not some sleazeball with ugly back art or some unshaven street brawler. Are you following me? This is a PROFESSIONAL wrestling company under MY control. What I say goes.

And what I say is this - the ideas, the direction, the matches, they come from me. In fact, I have one of those "From the desk of …" customizable notepads with WINK VAVASSEUR printed across the top, in all-capital letters so there's no mistake who it's coming from: It's coming from me!

So, starting in February, Grand Akuma, you will begin a series of matches to determine if you deserve a spot on the fulltime roster. I'm not sure who you will be facing just yet, but I'll figure it out. Or maybe you have some suggestions. Either way, that's what I've come up with. From the desk of Wink Vavasseur, in all-capital letters.


WV

 

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2/3/2012: I'm not gonna' drag this out.

I won't be around CHIKARA for awhile.

7 of the hardest words I've ever had to type.

Do not mistake this as me "losing my smile" or lacking passion for this. This is what I do and CHIKARA is where I'm free to do it to the fullest of my ability.

BUT, there's no avoiding what's been placed in front of me. I can't settle this problem in tights, on the court, or between the ropes. Avoiding it would mean that the very best of me that I pray you've come to know and hopefully love will be severely lacking. I'd die before I gave any of you less than that.

[video=youtube;jkEvzPTbayw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkEvzPTbayw&feature=player_embedded#t=0s[/video]

So with the heaviest of hearts and a disappointment that I can't even define, I gotta walk away. That's the most I can say for now.

Don't forget me. Don't let what we've built together die. Dasher, you've got this. It's always gonna be you and me against the odds, broham.

With that said. This ain't goodbye, but good journey.

"I'm searching for a way back/But I'm looking through a peep hole/I'm trying to find my way back/I wanna be your hero." - N.E.R.D. "Find My Way"

Just consider this a long halftime.
SUGAR

 

[Cornerstone]

Hope that whatever Sugar's going through gets easier because he was always a fun watch.

 

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2/7/2012: February 25th...MY season opener is against Archibald Peck of all people?

I sorta feel bad for this guy, he's on the brink of losing everything...his stuck-up valet Veronica, his mind, his hair, not to mention matches and any trace of manliness. Well, I guess that last one was in short supply to begin with.

[video=youtube;FBIgwnBkP64]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBIgwnBkP64&feature=player_embedded#t=0s[/video]

I'm not trying to be mean, just honest - and while I'm on an honesty kick, let me say that a desperate opponent can be the most dangerous. A very little part of me knows what it's like to lose and be on that edge, and feel almost desperate to turn things around. You'll do anything, try anything.

Unfortunately for you Mr. Peck, I am not some vain school girl. I'm not some dejected prom queen begging for your attention. I'm the Queen of Professional Wrestling. I've pinned Claudio Castagnoli's shoulders to the mat, won the Torneo Cibernetico, and even beat my wrestling idol, Aja Kong in the middle of the ring. The next thing on my royal agenda is crushing that ridiculous hat of yours and it will be YOU left bawling come February 25th!


SDR

 

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2/10/2012: Hello, all you CHIKARA maniacs!

It's your Director of Fun, Wink Vavasseur, here to tell you about some great ideas I've been jotting down on my notepad!

Recently, over a fantastic(ly expensive) sushi dinner at Shiroi Hana in Philadelphia (which I will subsequently be writing off as a business expense,) a thought occurred to me, a thought that really got my brain-wheels a-turnin'. The thought: it's been a long while since ol' Wink unbuttoned his collar, rolled up his sleeves, and really got his hands deep in the muck of the CHIKARA roster to create some well-reasoned, thought-provoking, conversation-starting matches. It's high time to get my hands dirty again!

My first all-new concoction will be a 4-on-4 match taking place on February 25th in Reading, PA, pitting two quartets of grapplers against each other. On the one side of the ring, I've decided that the grotesque faces of Obariyon and Kodama will pair up nicely with the ugly mugs of Timmy Donst and Jakob Hammermeier. I have a feeling that after this match, these four wrestlers will be like Sam and Bogey at the end of "Casablanca": it will be the beginning of a beautiful friendship. They seemed to like each other back at the Cibernetico, and I do like putting them together.

[video=youtube;3Khc0ZYSKFE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Khc0ZYSKFE&feature=player_embedded#t=0s[/video]

The other side of the bout made me think a little harder. When people talk about great quartets, a lot of names get tossed around, but, invariably, one group always ends up at the top of the list: The Beatles. So, I thought to myself, Wink, who among the CHIKARA roster typifies the distinct characteristics and qualities that made The Beatles such a strong quartet? I think I've got it!

Let's start with the Lennon/McCartney one-two punch. I need two wrestlers who are both comfortable being duel-heads of this operation, lacking any timidity (which will only be a weakness,) and possessing the talent to lead, while also willing to share the limelight with their partner. The obvious choice is the tag team of 3.0 - Scott Parker and Shane Matthews. I'll let the fans decide which is "the cute one" and which is "the jagged one." After that comes "the quiet Beatle," George, whose talent and work ethic made him stand out from the rest, even as he attempted to hide behind his art. This was an easy choice: Greg Iron, the wrestler on this team that I respect most of all. Of course, this brings us lastly to Ringo, the drummer. For this role, I've chosen Eddie Kingston because, well, Ringo was always my least-favorite Beatle.

I think this quartet I've come up with makes a lot of sense. And, gentlemen, I have no problem telling you that your futures look pretty bright: if you do well in Reading, I'll consider investing some money to have masks made. I mean, CHIKARA already has a Colony of Ants; why not a Quartet of Beetles??


WV

 

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2/14/2012: After watching some commercials and one of the biggest games of the year last Sunday, I realized something: it took me almost 4 hours to eat some 100 wings. I’m a beast. I'm a carnivore. I’m MR. TOUCHDOWN. If you can believe it, there was a time before Mr. Touchdown. When Mark Angelosetti was without a nickname. But when an athlete of my caliber walks onto any playing field, it's inevitable. All eyes will be on me.

On January 28th I didn’t need a bunch of over-produced commercials to get people to watch me. No, I told the world I was coming to CHIKARA and I was going to make an impact. As Dasher Hatfield stood in the ring and talked about me I could feel a rumbling. The people of Easton could feel a mega star about to light up their dark existences. Finally my banner was up...and IT WAS GOOD! Everyone was standing and screaming. High fives! YES. Tailgaters who stood outside, writing my name on their chest, were able to express themselves artistically. YES. I left the building knowing that in the months to come bigger things were to happen.

I take you now to February 25th. Reading, PA. I will be teaming with another two-sport-athlete in Dasher Hatfield taking on The Colony. CHIKARA is my field. You will not ruin it with your little anthills. NO. If I cover you ants in chocolate you become a very nutritious post-game meal. YES.

I will make chocolate covered ants on the 25th and I will devour them! Eating them entirely and moving on to my next match! After Reading, everyone will see why my teammates called me Mr. Touchdown. I don't choke when the blitz is on. I don't cry like a sissy. I eat nerds for breakfast and by that I do not mean the candy! I am Mr. Touchdown! What does it mean? It means win! It means victory!

AND IT'S GOOD!
MR.TD